Four chefs heat up Asheville's culinary scene

Aug. 7, 2007

One of several chefs who are helping to heat up Asheville’s vibrant culinary scene, Jacob Sessoms in the kitchen at Table, the fine dining restaurant he opened with spouse, Alicia Sessoms, in spring 2005. / Steve Dixon/sdixon@citizen-times.com

These savory dishes aren’t from the latest hot spots in New York or Atlanta, but menu choices from three restaurants — Limones, Vigne and Table — within a few blocks of each other in downtown Asheville.

With a cadre of chefs creating four-star flavors in local kitchens, Asheville’s vibrant restaurant scene has become one of the city’s key attractions. And more top-notch food is sure to follow, according four of the chefs who are helping to grow the area’s reputation for fine dining.

“I feel like the foundation is being laid for something exciting,” said pastry chef Deric McGuffey, 30, whose scratch-made Persian baklava with lime sorbet and other creative desserts help draw crowds to Rezaz in Biltmore Village. “There’s a great diversity of cuisine in Asheville,” he said.

A visit to the Web site for the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, which includes more than 50 members, underscores why many consider the area a culinary hot spot. And alongside the wealth of fine dining, boutique eateries such as coffee shops, bakeries and noodle houses are also plentiful around town.

A supportive local populace, a regular influx of visitors, fresh local ingredients, and first-tier culinary school at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College have all helped to bolster the local restaurant scene.

“It is comparable to big city dining,” said resident Dominique Radinger, 37, who was born in France, grew up in Asheville, and now lives most of the year in Dusseldorf, Germany. “For the size of this small town, it’s amazing how diversified the dining scene is.”

Here’s a closer look at four of the chefs who are helping to heat up Asheville’s food scene.

Hugo Ramirez

Chef: Hugo Ramirez, 31, of Limones, 13 Eagle St. www.limonesrestaurant.com.Food: A mix of Californian and Mexican cuisine Background: A native of Mexico City, Ramirez trained in top San Francisco restaurants before moving to Asheville from Berkeley, Calif. Cooking style: “Simple food and basic ingredients turned into good flavors,” he said. Sample menu item: Wild mushroom and fennel quesadilla with Fontina cheese, currant-carrot slaw, mashed avocado, cumin lime crema, and a small green salad, $15. Why Asheville: “I like the idea it’s a small town. It’s friendly,” he said. Culinary prediction: More restaurants, bringing “more people to Asheville who really like food,” he said. “I would like to see Asheville more well known.” Local chef he admires: Reza Setayesh of Rezaz.

Erik Sandstedt

Chef: Erik Sandstedt, 38, of Vigne, 123 S. Lexington Ave., www.vigneasheville.com.Food: European and American cuisineBackground: Sandstedt grew up around food in his parent’s restaurant in Sweden, where he attended culinary school and won a national skiing championship. After a stint in Vail, Sandstedt cooked at the Bistro on the Biltmore Estate. Cooking style: “I prefer to keep everything neat, clean and natural, not cover everything with seasoning,” he said. “You want to taste the trout.”Sample menu item: Local trout served with caviar and potato parsnip puree, $23. Why Asheville: A mix of his native country and his spouse’s hometown of Baton Rouge, La. Culinary prediction: “Asheville is growing so quick,” he said. “It’s a really good buzz in the whole town for the food industry.”Local chef he admires: Jacob Sessoms at Table.

Jacob Sessoms

Chef: Jacob Sessoms, 31, of Table, 48 College St. www.tableasheville.com.Food: Seasonal new American cuisine.Background: Graduate of Warren Wilson College and New York’s French Culinary Institute who cooked at restaurants in the city before returning to Western North Carolina in 2004. Cooking style: Market-driven local seasonal cuisine. Sample menu item: Hickory Nut Gap pork chop, broccoli gratin and violet mustard, $26.Why Asheville: “It’s really friendly to independent businesses,” he said. “We’re not one of those cities dominated by chains.” Culinary prediction: “I have a lot of friends who are planning to open restaurants in the next year,” he said. Local chef he admires: Adam Bannasch at Zambra.